Starting a Story Hour

[BSF]

I have been thinking of doing a story hour. I keep deciding not to since it would only he highlights from my current campaign. However, I have been thinking that doing one for my next campaign would be fun.

During my games, I will sometimes do a "cut scene". Something that the characters would have no information on (at lesat at the time), but the players will enjoy hearing. I have used that to show the conquering of a city, when it happened, that the characters started hearing about a few weeks later as the refugees made their way into the campaign area.

It is quite possible to drop information out there that the characters wouldn't normally know. Good players won't abuse that. And, it makes the story a lot more interesting!

 

[spyscribe]

Don't be afraid to skip the character bios if you're writing a story hour from the beginning.

I cannot second this heartily enough. Heck, even if you aren't writing from the beginning of a campaign don't be afraid to skip the bios.

Try thinking about how characters are introduced in movies you like. Jack Sparrow riding a sinking ship into harbor and then calmly stepping from the crows nest onto the dock tells you a lot about the guy right off the bat.

Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[Desdichado]

That movie almost inspired me to start up a "carribean-esque" swashbuckling campaign. Problem is, I'm just starting a Star Wars campaign, and I've got my steampunk homebrew on deck after that!

Personally, if I were to write another Story Hour (and I'm sure I will) I'd make it read more or less like a novel. No "Dramatis Personae" post to get me started, and not a "log" type either. I'd also post a disclaimer -- "Based on the session of xx/yy/2003" and make it very clear I'm juggling events and dialogue a bit to make it read better.

 

[Crothian]

Well, as much as I'd like to have interesting and captureing introductions of the charadters, the characters in game are not going to be introduced in such a way to each other. I'm not sure how much this is going to resemble a campaign log or an actually story until I sit down and write it up.

What about world info? All the chartacters have a basic knowledge of the world, but obviously the reader does not. How much explanation does one think a world needs?

 

[Desdichado]

It really kind of depends. It's certainly acceptable -- almost expected I think, to do a little background post describing at a very high level what the campaign setting is like, and maybe another post on the characters before starting the storyhour proper. Of course, you don't have to do that, but it's become very accepted. You don't have to make a story hour read like Tolkien or George RR Martin, after all. If Horacio were still around, he'd love it no matter what!

 

[Dirigible]

Aw, man. I wish I'd read this BEFORE starting my SH...

 

[Paka]

Write.

Post.

Write more.

Post more.

Don't forget to have fun.

 

[Enkhidu]

Write.

Post.

Write more.

Post more.

Don't forget to have fun.

Best. Advice. Evar.

 

[njorgard]

Let the players do the talking...

IMC I let the players do writeups of the adventures we play (they get XPs for it). Fortunately, I have a couple of players who are very creative and had the initiative to start up their own story hour based on these writeups. If you're looking for a way to start your own story hour I cannot think of a better way. I invite you to go to the "The Age of Blood Returns" thread in the Story Hour messegeboard and take a look at how it got started.

 

[Paka]

Every story hour writer will tell a different method but I like having player notes. I'm not fond of putting thoughts into character's heads that the players didn't put there.

Having the player in the Midnight Solo game write down an outline of the game's events and his character's thoughts was invaluable.

Hope that helps.

Write.